<p>Ok so I’m hosting both this year. I am not much of a gourmet cook. </p>
<p>What are you serving? Any suggestions for me, would like something not too hard for Xmas eve? No ham. My sister is bringing a big ham for after Christmas so that’s out. </p>
<p>Are you hosting both for the same people, or will there be no overlap in guests (besides your immediate family)?
If no overlap, make several trays of lasagna now, serve both days.</p>
<p>If I was hosting, I would make Christmas Eve dinner low key.
Maybe a salmon or squash bisque, salad with pears, hazelnuts and blue cheese, and chocolate fondue/ fruit for dessert.
Actually, if I was doing dinner both days, I would use this to save time.
It’s really good.
<a href=“http://www.pacificfoods.com/food/soups/creamy-soups/organic-cashew-carrot-ginger-soup.aspx”>http://www.pacificfoods.com/food/soups/creamy-soups/organic-cashew-carrot-ginger-soup.aspx</a></p>
<p>How many people and how much do they appreciate trying something new?</p>
<p>You may not want to do pork, if you are having ham in the days after Xmas, but I saw this stuffed pork loin on the Barefoot Contessa and fell in love. Elegant but easy.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/loin-of-pork-with-fennel-recipe.html”>http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/loin-of-pork-with-fennel-recipe.html</a></p>
<p>For Christmas Eve, I like to do chili or stew that I can prepare ahead of time and reheat. It makes for a cozy family meal.</p>
<p>Beef bourguignon or cioppino, green salad, crusty bread, chocolate mousse. Lasagna is good as well. Salmon baked in puff pastry with wild rice and mushrooms. How many people? All of this is easy, by the way, and can be prepared in advance. </p>
<p>I should say, no adventurous eaters. My mom will be there and she’s picky, no seafood. </p>
<p>How many people? Who knows right now, it may be 4 or 6 for Xmas eve. And anywhere from 6 to 14 for Christmas dinner. Didn’t you know it’s too early to commit to your Christmas plans? (Inset sarcasm ;))</p>
<p>Lasagna is a good idea but going to a cabin on the 26th and planning on the lasagna. Where there will be anywhere from 10 to 15 people to feed. The cabin won’t be hard to plan for. I plan on the ham one day, lasagna another and chili another. Only going to be there through the weekend. </p>
<p>Our traditional Christmas Eve was a Brunswick stew <a href=“http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brunswick-Stew-241201”>http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brunswick-Stew-241201</a> (with chicken not rabbit) salad and crusty bread. Can do it in crock pot. Easy for unknown number of guests and timing. </p>
<p>I’m no help. Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner is pirogi and spaghetti, a tradition started by my mother and her MIL years ago, but for Christmas Day. My kids have asked me to continue that, so I do only on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day we host the whole extended family and H smokes a meat, this year it’s a rib roast I think. Everyone else brings traditional soul food sides and it’s all very delicious, and quite different from what I had growing up.</p>
<p>Guess I’m no help either since seafood is out - our Christmas Eve tradition is an easy Shrimp Scampi. </p>
<p>I always was jealous of one family that I knew that had the tradition of chicken enchiladas on Christmas. A little different, I know, but I’d be much happier with that than ham!!! </p>
<p>Our Christmas Day with our extended family is very casual - we do an elaborate (in size) appetizer spread. My favorite meal of the year. 
</p>
<p>Growing up I did not know that people ate ham, turkey or roast for Christmas. I thought everyone ate spaghetti and pirogi! D is introducing pirogi to all of her friends from other cultures. They go wild over them. Must be the butter.</p>
<p>I am doing a beef tenderloin again this year…so easy! But based on everything deb922 has said, I would go with a couple different soup/stews, salads and yummy breads. Keep the food simple and easy to prepare ahead of time and put your energy into a gorgeous table and a spectacular dessert. (or try to find a lasagne or a turkey divan type dish - but try it ahead of time)</p>
<p>My daughter is an Episcopal priest, so Christmas Eve dinner is squeezed in between her services. Her husband’s family tradition is Chinese food, so we’ve adopted that. We brought it in (to someone’s house near her church) and this year we are thinking we’ll bring it to the church to save her some travel time. </p>
<p>My family typically had turkey for Christmas, but we’ve moved away from that and this year we are all thinking we might just do really good appetizers, desserts and alcohol. I’m serious. It’s a tiring time of year for my daughter, and by Christmas day we are all ready to just kick back. No out of towners are coming this year, but we usually have a few strays that come from the hospital (docs) where son in law is a doctor. </p>
<p>I make French onion soup, here is the recipe, it’s quite good and can be made the day before
2 tablespoons butter</p>
<p>2 pounds yellow onions, halved and sliced</p>
<p>4 cans beef broth (14 oz.)</p>
<p>1 can beef consommé, undiluted</p>
<p>1/4 cup Romano Cheese, grated</p>
<p>salt and ground pepper, to taste</p>
<p>Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot and sauté onions over medium low heat until they soften and turn golden brown. Keep stirring so they don’t burn. Add beef stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Whisk grated cheese into soup (I usually don’t do this as it sticks more to the pan than melting into the soup) and season with salt and pepper to taste.</p>
<p>Pour into ovenproof soup crocks. Top with toasted, sliced (cubed is more eating friendly for a stand up event) French bread and grated cheese (Gruyere, Mozzarella, Swiss or Parmesan). Broil until cheese melts and remove from oven. (I also, for the group thing, will cut up the bread & , toast the cubes ahead of time, then I will just form them into the shape of the bowls & broil those with thecheese on top, people can put their soup in the bowl & grab a cheesy bread topper without me standing at the oven)</p>
<p>Yield: Serves </p>
<p>Christmas Eve Dinner has to be Turkey and Ham for us…There really is nothing to baking a turkey except the hours it sits in the oven…and you could bake the Turkey in the morning, carve it and place in roasting pan…pour turkey or chicken stock to cover…and warm in the oven or on stove top at night. This keeps turkey moist and leaves the oven free early evening for the sides.</p>
<p>We have steak and lobster. Everything goes on the grill. Potatoes (sliced and seasoned or just bake them), grilled peppers. Add coleslaw and garlic bread. And super leftovers. Or do a packaged salad.
Or brisket–stuff it in the oven with lipton’s onion soup mix and you’re done. Leftovers can be frozen for later (turns out great) so even if you make too much it’s not a waste. Mashed potatoes are great with it (just buy mashed potatoes if you want–they’re pretty good).</p>
<p>Chicken and mushroom pie would be good and easy. I’d cheat and buy ready made pastry.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickenandmushroompi_89034”>http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickenandmushroompi_89034</a></p>
<p>It’s a UK recipe so here’s a conversion site.</p>
<p><a href=“Convert Recipe Weight to Recipe Volume”>Convert Recipe Weight to Recipe Volume;
<p>I’m going to gouf’s for steak and lobster! </p>
<p>Not sure what your price point is, but I would make a prime rib for the evening. It is as simple as following basic directions to cook in the oven. Add a green salad, some baked potatoes - and you have an easy, but impressive dinner. Recently just found a great recipe for prime rib with horseradish cream (served on the side) that I am looking forward to trying! </p>
<p>Kgos16, mind sharing the recipe. Sounds great! And easy! I have a great meat market nearby. </p>
<p>I found it from One Good Thing by Jillee off of Pinterest! How easy is this?! I never would have thought so. </p>
<p>Easy Prime Rib</p>
<ol>
<li>Get a prime rib roast at your grocery store or local butcher shop. It’s usually labeled bone-in ribeye roast.</li>
<li>Mix up equal parts of onion salt, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Approx 1/4 cup total.</li>
<li>Pat the salt mixture on both ends and the fat side of the roast. The salt may not stick as well on the fat side. Don’t worry about it.</li>
<li>Pre-heat oven as high as it will go. Usually 500 degrees, but NOT broil.</li>
<li>Stick the roast in a dutch oven preferably on a small rack that will lift it off the bottom. Bone side down (fat side up). Get a meat thermometer and stick it in the middle of the roast.</li>
<li>Cook the roast UNCOVERED in the oven for 5-6 minutes per pound and then shut the oven off.
DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR FOR TWO HOURS UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH.</li>
<li>After two hours take it out and check the temp. If its 140 degrees it’s perfect. If it’s cooler, put it back in the oven at 375 degrees until it hits 140 degrees.</li>
<li>This procedure will yield a PERFECT MEDIUM RARE PRIME RIB. (Don’t ask me how to do medium or well done because cooking prime rib roast past medium rare is a felony.)</li>
<li>Get a package of Au Jus mix in the spice section of your supermarket and make following directions.</li>
</ol>
<p>Creamy Horseradish Sauce</p>
<p>Ingredients</p>
<p>1 cup heavy cream
1 pinch white pepper, or to taste
1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) (optional)
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Directions</p>
<p>Whisk the cream in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the cream should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Season with the white pepper, hot sauce, and horseradish. Stir to combine. Note: This sauce doesn’t keep very well. Just plan to use it the same day you make it.</p>